Grass Valley at NAB 2016: Helping Customers Migrate to IP, Tell Better Stories, and Uncover New Business Opportunities

 Grass Valley at NAB 2016: Helping Customers Migrate to IP,  Tell Better Stories, and Uncover New Business Opportunities

New and enhanced products pave the way for future growth

For more than 50 years, customers have trusted Grass Valley, a Belden Brand, as a leading source of innovative, scalable, dependable solutions for their broadcast businesses. At NAB 2016, the company is continuing this tradition with a host of new and enhanced products that will help customers manage change and stay Future-Ready.

“With so many changes happening in this industry, broadcasters have to stay flexible to ensure they are not left behind,” said Marco Lopez, president, Grass Valley. “Our focus at NAB 2016 is on helping our customers embrace the changes with solutions that give them options and help them stay competitive. IP solutions based on open standards; format-flexible production solutions that keep trucks and studios working; workflow tools that solve VOD content preparation challenges—these are just some of the things we’ll be showing in our booth.”

Migrate to IP
Customers look to Grass Valley for IP solutions that will keep their operations nimble and ready for change. Grass Valley’s Glass-to-Glass IP strategy delivers the business agility needed with IP connectivity across the entire product line.

Enhanced Glass-to-Glass products
·    An enhancement to Grass Valley’s Broadcast Data Center, the Kaleido KMX-4911 integrated multiviewer for GV Node Real Time IP Processing and Edge Routing Platform now includes support for larger distributed systems with expandable modules for 18x2 or 18x4 with two cards; 27x2 or 27x4 with three cards; and 36x2 or 36x4 with four cards. The KMX-4911 accepts SMPTE 2022-6 and 3G/HD/SD sources, is 4K capable and operates with optimal efficiency requiring no wiring, less rack space and reduced power consumption.

·    Densité IPG-3901 High-Density SDI/IP Gateway with the new TICO 4K 1-Wire option provides TICO mezzanine encoding and decoding, allowing customers to add 4K to their current workflows and move 4K across the production facility. TICO visually lossless 4:1 compression and low latency are ideal for live production.

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·    IPG-3911 Gateway in the new Densité 3+ FR4 Frame leads the industry with 66 gateways per rack unit. The compact IPG-3911 is also able to achieve a lower cost point, making it not only a space-efficient move to IP, but also an economical bridge between SDI and IP.

·    UDC-3901 Densité compact 3G/HD/SD Up/Down/Crossconverter touts a lower cost all-inclusive design for video, audio and metadata processing. The UDC-3901 also offers customers an expanded range of I/O by using SFP input/output plug-in cartridges.

When leaders collaborate, the industry wins
·    Grass Valley and Cisco are accelerating their IP collaboration with a new joint effort that provides an integrated offering to support the Broadcast Data Center architecture. The companies will demonstrate a traditional IP network using Cisco Nexus switches and GV Nodes at both Cisco’s booth SU8502CM and Grass Valley’s booth SL106.

Grass Valley takes AIMS
·    The key to success in IP for the broadcast industry is an approach based on open standards, which is why Grass Valley played a leading role in the formation of the Alliance for IP Media Solutions (AIMS), an independent trade association committed to IP interoperability. AIMS will be in booth SL9406 at NAB and more than 20 members will be showing interoperability demos at the show.

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LinkedIn is one of many customers reaping the benefits Grass Valley’s Glass-to-Glass IP strategy. “GV Node will give us the ability to connect our facilities no matter where they are—in real-time—with low latency for worldwide distribution,” said Gary Schneider, global production systems lead for media production, LinkedIn.

Tell better stories with Any Format, Any Time
Format flexibility is critical in the changing broadcast environment. Grass Valley continues to set the bar high with new and enhanced products that deliver unmatched production flexibility, helping broadcasters tell better stories, improve viewership and maximize resource utilization.  Whether 3G/HD 4K/HDR or IP, Grass Valley has the solution.

Enhanced Glass-to-Glass products

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New and enhanced production solutions
·    New LDX 86N native 4K camera series, built using Grass Valley’s newest UHD 2/3” imagers, offers uncompromised native 3G/HD along with the crispness of native 4K from a single position in true 16:9 aspect ratio, using lenses intended for broadcast with no unwanted cropping or zooming effects.

·    The LDX Series with new direct IP interface is the only family of cameras with a direct IP interface on the camera itself, enabling live IP remote productions for the first time. Now broadcasters can connect LDX Series cameras directly to commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) switches on an IP network. This system enables control of all the cameras remotely through a centralized control room. The direct IP interface is available for the XF-Transmission on all LDX Series cameras, including the new LDX 86N Series, via an eLicense software upgrade.

·    New Focus 75 Live entry-level 720p/1080i switchable HD system camera, featuring three fully digital Xensium-FT CMOS imagers with global shutter operation and a high level of image performance for applications that require less flexibility, as well as a standard B4 2/3-inch lens mount to accommodate existing HD lenses.

·    New GV Korona K-Frame S-series production switcher, perfect for mobile environments or anywhere space is limited. It is available in 1 and 2 M/E panels, and offers support for multiple HD formats, software upgradability to 3G/4K, IP connectivity, an innovative touchscreen in the transition area and the largest I/O matrix for a small switcher.

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·    Free software upgrade enabling up to 4M/Es for 4K production on any Kayenne K-Frame or Karrera K-Frame S-series Video Production Center switcher licensed for 1080P 3G/HD.

·    K2 Dyno Replay System offers enhanced EVS file sharing and increased transfer speeds and support for XML data; folder restoration; and automated transfers of tagged clips to a targeted location. And, K2 Dyno is the only replay solution capable of 4-channel in / 2-channel out for 4K.

·    EDIUS 8.2 Nonlinear Editing Software introduces new creative options for professional and newsroom editing with motion tracking, primary color correction, RAW decode, draft preview (Workgroup only) and GV browser updates.

Sneaky Big Studios recently purchased a suite of Grass Valley products including the Karrera K-Frame 4M/E production switcher to manage its multiformat needs. “Grass Valley equipment does everything we need and provides us with a platform we can easily build on as we grow and expand,” said Steve Brain, vice president and general manager, Sneaky Big Studios.  

Improve business flexibility with digital media solutions
The way that viewers consume content is changing, making it necessary for broadcasters to find ways to easily and affordably repurpose digital media assets quickly for VOD or multiplatform delivery. Grass Valley is helping customers address these demands with affordable, automated digital media solutions.

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New and enhanced digital media solutions for news and playout
·    iTX On-Demand is a new video-on-demand (VOD)/over-the-top (OTT) product. As part of the iTX Integrated Playout Solution it automates the VOD process, reducing preparation time for live productions by enabling VOD processing of growing files. For pre-recorded productions, VOD can be started hours in advance by “pre-packaging” assets—no need to wait for the transmission time. iTX On-Demand can integrate with iTX Playout, but also works alongside third-party solutions.

·    GV STRATUS Video Production and Content Management System removes the complexity associated with multiplatform publishing by using a workflow rules engine to automate production and dramatically reduce publishing time. The latest Newsroom Bundle Elite supports K2 Central TX with up to 20TB of usable storage, 20 GV STRATUS clients and 15 simultaneous editors and will be demonstrated at the booth.

·    Ignite Automated Production System further enhances GV STRATUS’s digital media capabilities, allowing a downstream over-the-top (OTT) platform to substitute content on a live stream. Visitors to the booth interested in live production automation will get a sneak peek at the next version of Ignite that includes a new standardized user interface and a list of other features that further simplify production automation and digital media workflows.

·    K2-Playlist is a cost-effective playout application for K2 Media Servers that facilitates master control and play-to-air operations. Ideal for small station commercial insertion where full station automation is not required, it also provides low-cost back-up for automation systems.

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KFMB is using iTX to improve operations and prepare for the future. “iTX has a solid reputation and is the perfect solution for our operation,” said Leann Lanflisi, engineering operations manager, KFMB. “iTX works with a wide range of traffic and external production systems, which means we can continue to build out our workflow and add more features as our needs change.”
“Change doesn’t have to be intimidating. In fact, I believe that the changes we are facing right now as an industry are very exciting,” added Lopez. “Our customers’ business models are shifting to include higher quality content, more delivery platforms, and new ways of generating profit. At the same time, our solutions are transforming to meet those needs, and NAB visitors will be able to see how our heritage and expertise make us the perfect partner for these changing times.”

Grass Valley is participating with other AIMS members in a panel discussion during NAB. It is entitled “Open Standards that Drive Industry Innovation,” and takes place Tuesday, April 19, from 10:00-11:00am at Imagine Communications booth N2502. Participants include Steve Reynolds, CTO of Imagine Communications; Mike Cronk, VP, Core Technology of Grass Valley; Bryan Bedford, Global Business Development, Partner Organization, Sports, Media & Entertainment Ecosystems of Cisco; and Benoit Fevrier, SVP, CTO of EVS.

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About Grass Valley
Grass Valley, a Belden Brand, keeps broadcasters, content owners and service providers Future-Ready as they navigate the changing landscape of television. With the most comprehensive collection of workflow solutions in the industry, Grass Valley delivers end-to-end television production and content distribution workflows, combined with expert consultation and insight that lead to sustainable success. Grass Valley, headquartered in Montreal, is part of St. Louis-based Belden Inc. Belden delivers a comprehensive product portfolio designed to meet the mission-critical network infrastructure needs of industrial, enterprise and broadcast markets. With innovative solutions targeted at reliable and secure transmission of rapidly growing amounts of data, audio and video needed for today's applications, Belden is at the center of the global transformation to a connected world